Italian Cream of Zucchini Soup

Payton posted this lovely recipe over at Dr. B’s forum and I just couldn’t resist grabbing this one.

Thanks Payton! Here’s what she has to say.

This is from my “Encyclopedia of Italian Cooking” which is my favorite cookbook - my family is Italian and I have learned to cook this way at the request of my hubby. Smiley This is an excellent low carb soup. I believe it’s about 10 carbs per serving, although our engineer types could probably get more specific. My hubby LOVED it, and he is very picky and NOT low-carb at all.

Cream of Zucchini Soup

The beauty of this soup is its delicate color, rich and creamy texture and subtle taste. If you prefer a more pronounced cheese flavor, use Gorgonzola instead of Dolcelatte.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, roughly chopped (I put mine in the food processor because I hate chopping onion).
2 lbs zucchini, trimmed and sliced (again, I didn’t even slice mine, I put it in the food processor for efficiency’s sake and it came out just fine).
1 tsp dried oregano
About 2 and 1/2 cups of veggie or chicken stock

4 oz mild blue cheese, rind removed, sliced (such as Dolcelatte, though if you want a strong cheese flavor you can use gorgonzola - this is what I used and it was delicious. I used the entire 4 oz IN the soup with none left over to garnish. This was my best judgement per tasting it…so you may want to buy a little extra).

1 and 1/4 cups cream (or half and half) - I also used the entire amount of cream IN the soup with none left over to garnish. This was my best judgement per tasting it…so you may want to buy a little extra of this as well.

salt and freshly ground black pepper
fresh oregano and extra cheese to garnish

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan until foaming. Add the onion and cook gently for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened but not brown.
2. Add the zucchini and oregano, with salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil, stirring. Lower the heat, half cover the pan and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. (* It didn’t take me this long because I had processed the zucchini - I wasn’t softening slices, I already had mushed, processed zucchini). Stir in the Dolcelatte/gorgonzola until melted.

** “Cook’s Tip: To save time, trim off and discard the ends of the zucchini, cut them into thirds, then chop in a food processor fitted with the metal blade.” — I did this wrong, and didn’t end up with slices, rather I ended up with totally processed zucchini, but it still ended up delicious and didn’t take as much time.
4. Process the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth, then press through a sieve/strainer into a clean pan. (I didn’t press all of the contents through the sieve and it turned out just fine).
5. Add two-thirds of the cream and stir over low heat until hot, but not boiling. Check the consistency and add more stock if the soup is too thick (I believe I did this). Taste for seasoning, then pour into heated bowls. Swirl in the remaining cream. Garnish with oregano and extra cheese and serve.

I think using the gorgonzola instead of the Dolcelatte made the soup. It is easy to make and I would suggest it to anyone….although don’t expect a super strong flavor - the cookbook is correct when it says that the recipe is subtle. I think this would also work with broccoli and asparagus as the veggie. It is very nice with a white wine.